A woman who was raped three times by a stranger has bravely explained why she believes she was targeted during a horrific attack in the Midlands.
Attack at Hanley Bus Station
The victim was approached by Audrius Zukauskas, 55, at Hanley Bus Station earlier this year. Zukauskas, of Davis Street in Shelton, invited the woman back to his home, where he subsequently raped her three times and physically assaulted her.
Zukauskas has now been handed a 12-year extended sentence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court after admitting three counts of rape and one count of assault. He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and faces potential deportation to his native Lithuania.
Victim's Harrowing Impact Statement
In a moving statement read to the court, the victim detailed the profound and devastating impact of the attack. She revealed that she is an alcoholic, a condition she directly links to the trauma she has endured.
"I am an alcoholic. I have suffered a lot of trauma in my life but this is the reason I am now alcohol dependent," she said. "This makes me extremely vulnerable and I believe that is why he targeted me."
She described how her mental health has severely declined, leading to constant fear, flashbacks, and an inability to sleep. "The only way to stop this is to drink until I pass out as I can't cope with the memories of this. It has destroyed me," she told the court.
A Life Lived in Fear
The victim's statement painted a picture of a life utterly transformed by fear. She is now scared to leave her house, reliant on her mother, and even feels unsafe in her own home and garden.
"I live in fear that something will happen to me again and that someone will target me," she said. "I am scared he is already plotting his revenge or his next victim."
She expressed terror at the prospect of Zukauskas being released, stating she believes he would reoffend. The attack has also shattered her ability to trust, leaving her fearing men and doubting she will ever have a relationship again.
Despite her ordeal, she concluded her statement with a thought for other potential victims: "This would not fix the damage that has been caused to me, physically and mentally, but it would mean that other women do not have to feel like I do."
Zukauskas must serve two-thirds of the custodial part of his sentence before the Parole Board can consider him for release.
